Reviews

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

All of my other previous specific tasting notes on this wine apply, except that this go-around, it seemed a bit more angular and rustic, with the cedar and alcohol elements really showing up more so…

Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

Exactly what I expect from Aubert's interpretation of the Hudson site. Flavorful and giving notes of luscious yellow citrus, lemon curd, pineapple, fresh vanilla bean, poached pear, ripe green apple,…

Arrow & Branch Sauvignon Blanc Heritage Reserve

A wine that offers more cerebral interest than it does any type of readily identifiable signature flavor profile associated with the varietal. This is more of a reductive sherry-Champagne hybrid than…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

This is starting to come around nicely, especially since I had it two years ago. Not as coiled up and standoff-ish as my previous encounter. Black and blue core fruit, blueberry, blackberry, black…

Arrow & Branch

High-toned red berry fruit, with notes of black and red currant, red and black cherry, cassis, limestone, spice, and some alcohol. The fruit had a lot of drive initially, but was clipped by hits of…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label

A medium-bodied, black fruit driven animal, with a decent amount of drive for such a seemingly dark wine. Blackberry, black soil/earth, bitter chocolate, black currant, cedar, and dark spice. Quite a…

Arrow & Branch Sauvignon Blanc

A friendly enough SB that kicks out light-hearted flavors of white melon and yellow citrus fruit, quince, pebbles, and some grass. Light-to-medium bodied, with a graceful glide across the palate.…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Barrel sample. From the UV Vineyard. Notes of cranberry, red cherry (some subtle black cherry as well), brush, dried oregano, wood, and spice. Flaunting a bright, pure, and luscious red fruit core,…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

Barrel sample. From the UV Vineyard. Fresh and lively notes of yellow citrus, Asian pear, white melon, lemon zest, lemon grass, sourdough, candied ginger, wet granite, and some spice.

Arkenstone Estate

Barrel sample. Explosive and attention-grabbing notes of blackberry, fresh blueberry pie crust, Amarena black cherry syrup, cassis, black currant, unripe purple plum, black igneous rock, wet river…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

Barrel sample. This is the flagship blend from Crane, LPV, Weitz, and Oakville. Sporting a gorgeous mouthfeel, with the perfect balance of concentration and weight distribution on the palate, this…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. Explosive notes of blackberry, blueberry, dark soil/earth, black cherry syrup, baking spices, crushed flowers, and wet cedar. Some subtle chocolate notes on the back end. Much more…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Barrel sample. A stunning example of LPV, and the best MM wine I've had. Concentrated and powerful, while simultaneously perfectly balanced and seamless. Shows a great personality, with swirling…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

Barrel sample. A gorgeous example of a domestic Sauvignon Blanc. Quite possibly one of the best examples of the varietal I've ever had. Notes of lemon and yellow citrus, tropical fruit, grass,…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

Unlike the BTK, Poetry, or Scarlet Love, I was fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) able to rate this wine with some semblance of disciplined inquiry and analysis, though a numeric quantifier at…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry

Take a PnP 2014 Cliff Lede BTK, breed it with a PnP 2014 Cliff Lede Scarlet Love, and you've got yourself a 2014 Poetry. Pulverized granite meets crunchy, bitter blackberry. It kinda tastes like…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Block Series Scarlet Love

Question #1: What is this liquid pin cushion getting raked across my palate?!?

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Turning coal into a diamond is about all this wine is good for at the moment. Tight as all getup, kicking out alcohol, bitter earth notes, and unripe blackberries. Why this and the other reds…

FEL Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard

Red cherry, crunchy cranberry, pomegranate, light orange rind, and subtle spice. A bit alcohol-ridden and thin. Some ok flavors, but not enough to keep me from moving on to the next victim. Pass for…

FEL Chardonnay Savoy Vineyard

Buttered popcorn, creamy vanilla, lemon curd, and some subtle nutmeg. A little chubby around the edges. A bit of dad-bod going on with this wine. The flavors were decent and the purity of fruit…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

We killed another .375 to see if it would perform any different than the previous night. It was a bit of a futile effort, as the Vice Versa wines dominated and wouldn't let any other wine stand in…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Beautiful and elegant in its display of flavors, the '15 VV "standard" Crane brought a bit of romance to the party. Sexy and seductive notes of black, dark red core fruit. Blackberry, boysenberry,…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

I remember when a 4.0 GPA actually meant a perfect "straight A" average. Now there's 4.5s, 4.8s, and even 5.0 GPAs?! A perfect of the perfect of the perfect?! Whatever a kid has to do to get into…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. This Elysian is a textural, silky dream, with wonderful purity of fruit and a finish that really provides a long-distance running feel on the back end. What a glide! Black, red,…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. This showed a little bit of a crunchier, rustic side when compared to some of the other wines at the table. Still wonderfully giving in the fruit department, and super powerful,…